Liquid cooling system

ABSTRACT

In some embodiments, a cooling device may be mounted to a portion of a chassis of an electronic system, wherein the cooling device may be releasably and pivotably attached to the chassis in at least an open position to permit access to components within the electronic system and a closed position to permit installation of a cover on the chassis. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/940,190, which was a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/749,732, filed Dec. 30, 2003, entitledElectrically Isolated Semi-Lock Hinge for Cooling System, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,046,517.

The invention relates to liquid cooling systems and more particularly toliquid cooling systems for electronic components, and methods relatedthereto.

BACKGROUND AND RELATED ART

A liquid cooling system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,012,assigned in common with the present application. Referring to FIG. 1, aliquid cooling system 10 for a processor-based system may include ahousing 12 that houses a heat exchanger core 36 and a liquid pump (notshown in FIG. 1). Secured to the housing 12 is a fan assembly 26including a fan 14. The fan 14 is positioned over an opening in thehousing 12 to provide air cooling of liquid inside a heat exchanger core36. The heat exchanger core 36 is defined in part by opposed facesseparated a given amount to define a thickness direction. The fan 14 maybe coupled to an electrical potential through a connector 18. The liquidpump may be coupled to an electrical potential through a connector 16. Aportion 28 of the housing 12 may comprise a tank or reservoir for thepumped, cooling liquid.

The cooled liquid, passing out of the housing 12, may pass through apipe 20 b to a processor cold plate 22 and then back through return pipe20 a. A processor 24 of a processor-based system may be in thermalcontact with the cold plate 22.

Referring to FIG. 2, a processor-based system 40 may include theprocessor 24 thermally coupled to the cooling system 10. The processor24 may be electrically coupled to an interface 42, such as a bridge. Theinterface 42 is coupled to a memory 44 and a bus 46. The bus 46 may, inturn, be coupled to another interface 48, such as a bridge. Theinterface 48 may also be coupled to a hard disk drive 50 in oneembodiment.

In some embodiments, the interface 48 may provide electrical signals tothe cooling system 10 to control its operation. For example, based onthe performance or temperature of the processor 24, additional coolingmay be provided under control of the interface 48. Thus, signals may beprovided to the connectors 18 and 16 to control the fan 14 and pump 30to achieve a desired processor 24 temperature.

Other details of the construction and operation of the liquid coolingsystem 10 may be had with reference to the '012 patent. Variousattachment techniques described in the '012 patent include welding tothe housing or clips.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription of preferred embodiments as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference numerals generally refer to the sameparts throughout the drawings. The drawings are not necessarily toscale, the emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating theprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid cooling system;

FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of a liquid cooling system for aprocessor-based device;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an electronic system including a liquidcooling unit, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the electronic system from FIG. 3,with the liquid cooling unit in an open position, in accordance withsome embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmented, perspective view of the area 5 inFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the electronic system from FIG. 3,with the liquid cooling unit in a closed position, in accordance withsome embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmented, perspective view of the area 7 inFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the electronic system from FIG. 3,including a cover panel;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another electronic system, with a liquidcooling unit in an open position, in accordance with some embodiments ofthe invention;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmented, perspective view of the liquidcooling unit from FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is another enlarged, fragmented, perspective view of theelectronic system from FIG. 9, with the liquid cooling unit in a closedposition, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the electronic system from FIG. 9,including a cover panel;

FIG. 13 is a representative cross sectional view of the cover panel,taken along line 13-13 in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another electronic system including aliquid cooling unit in an open position, in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the liquid cooling unit from FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged, fragmented, perspective view of the area 16 inFIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is another perspective view of the electronic system from FIG.14, without the liquid cooling unit to show hinge detail, in accordancewith some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged, fragmented, perspective view of the area 18 inFIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of another electronic system, with aliquid cooling unit in an open position, in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of another electronic system, without theliquid cooling unit to show hinge detail, in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged, fragmented, perspective view of the area 21 inFIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the liquid cooling unit from FIG. 19;

FIG. 23 is another perspective view of the electronic system in FIG. 19,with the liquid cooling unit in the open position, in accordance withsome embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 24 is an enlarged, fragmented, perspective view of the area 24 inFIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is another enlarged, fragmented, perspective view of theelectronic system from FIG. 19, with the liquid cooling unit in a closedposition, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 26 is another perspective view of the electronic system from FIG.19, including a cover panel;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of another electronic system, with aliquid cooling unit in an open position, in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 28 is another perspective view of the electronic system from FIG.27, with the liquid cooling unit in a closed position, in accordancewith some embodiments of the invention; and

FIG. 29 is another perspective view of the electronic system from FIG.27, including a cover panel.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of another electronic system, with aliquid cooling unit in an open position, in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of another electronic system, with aliquid cooling unit in an open position, in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation and notlimitation, specific details are set forth such as particularstructures, architectures, interfaces, techniques, etc. in order toprovide a thorough understanding of the various aspects of theinvention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the arthaving the benefit of the present disclosure that the various aspects ofthe invention may be practiced in other examples that depart from thesespecific details. In certain instances, descriptions of well knowndevices, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure thedescription of the present invention with unnecessary detail.

As noted above, an electronic system utilizing liquid cooling mayinclude a heat exchanger with circulating fluid, a fan to circulate airthrough the heat exchanger, and a cold plate that attaches to anelectronic component to be cooled and is connected to the heatexchanger, for example, by fluid carrying tubes. Liquid cooling systemmay effectively cool high performance processor-based systems, butpresents certain challenges in the assembly of the system. For example,the combined heat exchanger/fan/shroud assembly (possibly also includinga pump and/or reservoir, also referred to herein as HEXFS) may berelatively heavy and difficult or awkward to handle during assembly ofthe electronic system. The weight of the HEXFS assembly may be such thatthe HEXFS could damage other components of the electronic system ifdropped or mishandled during the assembly of the electronic system.Conventional attachment techniques may increase the risk of such damagebecause the HEXFS is generally held in close proximity to suchelectronic component when the cold plate is connected to the HEXFS. TheHEXFS may also be relatively bulky (e.g. taking up a fair amount ofspace inside the chassis of the electronic system).

According to some embodiments, a cooling device may be mounted to aportion of a chassis of an electronic system, wherein the cooling devicemay be releasably and pivotably attached to the chassis in at least anopen position to permit access to components within the electronicsystem and a closed position to permit installation of a cover on thechassis.

For example, according to some embodiments of the invention, a housingfor a heat exchanger may include positioning pins disposed on thehousing for positioning the housing on a chassis during assembly and alock member disposed on the housing and positioned to cooperate with acorresponding structure on the chassis to temporarily secure the housingin an open position. The housing may further include a stop memberdisposed on the housing and positioned to cooperate with a correspondingfeature on the chassis to inhibit movement of the housing beyond aclosed position. For example, the housing may form a shroud and furtherinclude a fan configured to direct air through the shroud and over thecooling unit to provide a heat exchanger assembly (e.g. a HEXFS).

For example, in some embodiments, a heat exchanger assembly may bemechanically attached to a chassis of an electrical system utilizingmounting blocks or other features such as keyed mounting structuresprovided on a chassis panel (e.g. a back input/output (I/O) panel), withsuch blocks or other features on the chassis interfacing with pins orstops on the shroud (e.g. that encloses the fan and heat exchanger) toenable the heat exchanger assembly to be positioned up out of the wayand provide access inside the chassis under the installed location inthe chassis for the heat exchanger assembly. Having the heat exchangerassembly positioned on the chassis, but out of the way, may beparticularly useful during cold plate integration onto the main board.

Preferably, the heat exchanger assembly includes features which promotekeeping the heat exchanger assembly temporarily secured in an openposition (such as bumps or pins on the shroud that have a slightinterference fit with the mounting blocks as they rotate past the blocksor a square post that interfaces with a keyed block on the chassis backI/O face) to inhibit the heat exchanger assembly from falling down ontothe installer's hands or onto main board components. After the coldplate has been integrated onto the main board the heat exchangerassembly may be rotated (or in some other manner repositioned—dependingon the particular design implementation) into the closed position.Preferably, the heat exchanger assembly includes further features whichcooperate with corresponding chassis features to inhibit the heatexchanger assembly from contacting system components (such as add-incards and disk drives).

With reference to FIGS. 3-8, an electronic system 51 includes a chassis52 and a cooling device 54 which may be mounted to a portion of thechassis 52. The cooling device 54 may be releasably and pivotablyattached to the chassis 52 in at least an open position (e.g. see FIGS.3 and 4), to permit access to components within the chassis 52, and aclosed position (e.g. see FIGS. 6 and 8), to permit installation of acover 56 on the chassis 52.

The cooling unit 54 is shown in general form, but may be a HEXFSassembly of a liquid cooling system. The cooling unit 54 includes a pairof positioning pins 62, at least one lock member 64 (and preferably apair of lock pins 64), and at least one stop member 66 (and preferably apair of stop tabs 66) disposed on the cooling unit 54. In some examples,the positioning pins 62 may be aligned along a line A (see FIG. 6),defining an axis of rotation for pivoting the cooling unit 54 from theopen position to the closed position, such that the positioning pins 62may also be considered hinge pins 62.

The chassis 52 includes a panel 72 having a pair of mounting blocks 74secured to the panel 72. The mounting blocks 74 are positioned andconfigured to receive the hinge pins 62. The lock pins 64 cooperate withstructures on the mounting blocks 74 to temporarily secure the coolingunit 54 in an open position, as illustrated in FIGS. 4-5. In the openposition, access is provided inside the chassis for assembly operations.For example, in the case of a HEXFS, a cold plate may be coupled to anelectronic component and tubing may be connected between the cold plateand the HEXFS.

The chassis 52 may further include features which cooperate with thestop tabs 66 to inhibit the cooling unit from moving beyond a desiredclosed position. For example, the chassis 52 includes a beam 76 havingat least one corresponding blocking member 78 (e.g. a protruding tab)which is positioned to block the stop tab 66 from moving beyond theclosed position when the cooling unit 54 is re-positioned from the opento the closed position. The beam 76 may be a cross beam 76 which extendsbetween opposed panels of the chassis 52, or a beam that cantileversfrom a side of the chassis power supply or other structure of thechassis 52. The cooling unit 54 may be secured in the closed position,for example, by fasteners 82 which fasten the stop tabs 66 against theblocking tabs 78 (see FIG. 8).

With the cooling unit 54 in the closed position, the cover 56 may beattached to the chassis 52 (e.g. see FIG. 8). The cover 56 may includeone or more air flow openings 86. In some examples, a gasket may beprovided between the cover 56 and the cooling unit 54 to promote moreair being drawn into the chassis 52 through the opening 86. The chassis52 may also include one or more air flow openings 58 (e.g. perforatedportions of chassis panels). As may be necessary or desirable, theopenings 58 and 86 may be configured to inhibit radio frequencyinterference.

The assembly of the electronic system 51 may include positioning thecooling unit 54 on the chassis 52 (e.g. see FIG. 3), temporarilysecuring the cooling unit 54 on the chassis 52 in an open positionproviding access inside the chassis 52 (e.g. see FIGS. 3-5), moving thecooling unit 54 from the open position to a closed position withoutremoving the cooling unit 54 from the chassis 52 (e.g. see FIGS. 4 and6-7), and securing the cooling unit 54 in the closed position (e.g. seeFIG. 8).

For example, positioning the cooling unit 54 on the chassis 52 mayinclude inserting the hinge pins 62 into corresponding mounting blocks74 on the chassis 52. For example, moving the cooling unit 54 from theopen position to the closed position may include rotating the coolingunit 54 on the hinge pins 62. For example, temporarily securing thecooling unit 54 on the chassis 52 in the open position may includeproviding a lock member 64 on the cooling unit 54 which cooperates witha corresponding structure on the chassis 52 to temporarily secure thecooling unit 54 in the open position. For example, the lock member 64comprises a protuberance on a housing of the cooling unit 54.

The assembly of the electronic system 51 may further include inhibitingthe cooling unit 54 from moving inside the chassis 52 beyond the closedposition by, for example, providing a stop member 66 on the cooling unit54 which cooperates with a corresponding structure on the chassis 52 toinhibit the movement of the cooling unit 54 beyond the closed position.For example, the stop member 66 may include a protuberance on a housingof the cooling unit 54. For example, the corresponding structure on thechassis 52 may include the cross beam 76 which extends between opposedpanels of the chassis 52 with at least one blocking member 78 on thebeam 76 positioned to contact the stop member 66 when the cooling unit54 is re-positioned from the open to the closed position. In otherembodiments, the beam 76 may be a cantilever beam or the beam 76 may beomitted and the stop member may cooperate with a blocking memberprovided directly on panels of the chassis to inhibit over-rotation ofthe cooling unit 54.

Advantageously, some embodiments of the invention allow a systemintegrator (e.g. an assembler of a computer system) access to the mainboard core area to install a “cold plate” and its associated attachclip(s) to the electronic component (e.g. processor) with the HEXFS heldup out of the way (e.g. at approximately 90 degrees to the main board)while at the same time providing mechanical robustness necessary tosurvive mechanical shock and vibration events (e.g. when completelyinstalled—i.e., “rotated” down into the final integrated position).

With reference to FIGS. 9-13, an electronic system 90 includes a chassis92 and a cooling device 94 which may be mounted to a portion of thechassis 92. The cooling device 94 may be releasably and pivotablyattached to the chassis 92 in at least an open position (e.g. see FIGS.9 and 10), to permit access to components within the electronic system90, and a closed position (e.g. see FIG. 11), to permit installation ofa cover 96 on the chassis 92 (see FIG. 12).

The cooling unit 94 may be a HEXFS assembly of a liquid cooling system,including a fan 112, a housing shroud 114, and a heat exchanger 116 (seeFIG. 11). The cooling unit 94 includes a pair of positioning pins 102,at least one lock member 104 (and preferably a pair of lock bumps 104),and at least one stop member 106 (and preferably a pair of stop tabs106). In some examples, the positioning pins 102 may be aligned along aline B (see FIG. 11), defining an axis of rotation for pivoting thecooling unit 94 from the open position to the closed position, such thatthe positioning pins 102 may also be considered hinge pins 102.

The chassis 92 includes a panel 98 having a pair of mounting blocks 99secured to the panel 98. The mounting blocks 99 are positioned andconfigured to receive the hinge pins 102. The lock bumps 104 cooperatewith structures on the mounting blocks 99 to temporarily secure thecooling unit 94 in an open position, as illustrated in FIGS. 9-10. Inthe open position, access is provided inside the chassis for assemblyoperations. For example, in the case of a HEXFS, a cold plate 107 may becoupled to an electronic component (e.g. with attach clips) and tubingmay be connected between the cold plate and the HEXFS (see FIG. 9).

For example, the lock bumps 104 may hold the HEXFS in the open positionvia an interference fit with corresponding detent features in themounting blocks 99. After the cold plate 107 has been integrated, thelock bumps 104 may be rotated out of the detents (e.g. with a suitableamount of force from the assembler) to rotate the HEXFS into the closedposition.

The chassis 92 may further include features which cooperate with thestop tabs 106 to inhibit the cooling unit from moving beyond a desiredclosed position. For example, the chassis 92 includes a beam 117 havingat least one corresponding blocking member 118 (e.g. a protruding tab)which is positioned to block the stop tab 106 from moving beyond theclosed position when the cooling unit 94 is re-positioned from the opento the closed position. The beam 117 may be a cross beam 117 whichextends between opposed panels of the chassis 92. The cooling unit 94may be secured in the closed position, for example, by fasteners (notshown) which fasten the stop tabs 106 against the blocking tabs 118. Inother embodiments, the beam 117 may be a cantilever beam or the beam 117may be omitted and the stop tabs may cooperate with blocking membersprovided directly on panels of the chassis to inhibit over-rotation ofthe cooling unit 94.

With the cooling unit 94 in the closed position, the cover 96 may beattached to the chassis 92. The cover 96 may include one or more airflow openings 119. In some examples, a gasket may be provided betweenthe cover 96 and the cooling unit 94 to promote more air being drawninto the chassis 92 through the opening 119. The chassis 92 may alsoinclude one or more air flow openings (e.g. perforated portions ofchassis panels). As may be necessary or desirable, the air flow openingsmay be configured to inhibit radio frequency interference.

Advantageously, the cooling unit 94 is located in close proximity to theelectrical component (e.g. a processor) which is cooled by the coldplate 107. From this location, outside cooling air (e.g. external to thechassis 92) may be drawn inside the chassis and blown over the core areaof the main board (i.e., central processing unit, chipset, and voltageregulation circuits) to provide cooling while at the same time takingadvantage of the typically unused area above the main board (e.g. astypically seen in ATX and micro-ATX standard compliant systems).Utilization of this typically unused space reduces the likelihood thatthe cooling unit 92 might interfere with typical system components suchas hard disk & floppy disk drives, long add-in (graphics) cards, andCD-ROM drives. In some applications, this mounting scheme may notrequire any additional rear system cooling fan because of the closeproximity of the cooling unit fan to the main board core area. In someapplications, this mounting method may also reduce the likelihood thatthe cooling unit 94 might contact other system components (such asadd-in cards and disk drives) that could occur during a mechanical shockor vibration event.

With reference to FIG. 13, a representative cross section of the coverpanel 96 shows how stiffening undulations or corrugations can be used tostiffen the chassis cover panel 96.

With reference to FIGS. 14-18, an electronic system 140 includes achassis 142 and a cooling device 144 which may be mounted to a portionof the chassis 142. The cooling device 144 may be releasably andpivotably attached to the chassis 142 in at least an open position (e.g.see FIG. 14), to permit access to components within the electronicsystem 140, and a closed position (not shown), to permit installation ofa cover on the chassis 142.

The cooling unit 144 is shown in general form, but may be a HEXFSassembly of a liquid cooling system, including a fan, a housing shroud,and a heat exchanger. The cooling unit 144 includes a pair ofpositioning pins 152, at least one lock member 154 (and preferably apair of lock bumps 154), and at least one stop member 156 (andpreferably a pair of ears or stop tabs 156). In some examples, thepositioning pins 152 may be aligned along a line, defining an axis ofrotation for pivoting the cooling unit 144 from the open position to theclosed position, such that the positioning pins 152 may also beconsidered hinge pins 152.

The chassis 142 includes a panel 148 having a pair of mounting blocks149 secured to the panel 148. The mounting blocks 149 are positioned andconfigured to receive the hinge pins 152. The lock bumps 154 cooperatewith structures on the mounting blocks 149 to temporarily secure thecooling unit 144 in an open position, as illustrated in FIG. 14. In theopen position, access is provided inside the chassis for assemblyoperations. For example, in the case of a HEXFS, a cold plate may becoupled to an electronic component and tubing may be connected betweenthe cold plate and the HEXFS.

With reference to FIG. 18, the mounting block 149 may include a firstchannel 181 adapted to receive the hinge pin 152 and a second channel182 adapted to receive the lock bump 154. The mounting block 149 mayinclude a first opening 183 sized appropriately to receive the hinge pin152 into the mounting block 149. Once the hinge pin 152 is seated in thefirst channel 181, the pin 152 may be slid into the mounting block 149towards the panel 148. The mounting block 149 defines a second opening184 appropriately sized to receive the lock bump 154. With the pin 152slid sufficiently into the mounting block 149, the lock bump 154 may bereceived in the second channel 182. The mounting block 149 may includeone or more resilient lock members 185, 186 at desired positions alongthe second channel 182. The resilient lock members 185, 186 are adaptedto engage the lock bump 154. For example, the resilient lock members 185and 186 may be made of plastic.

For example, the lock bump 154 may hold the HEXFS in the open positionvia an interference fit with the resilient lock member 185. After thecold plate has been integrated, the lock bump 154 may be rotated out ofthe resilient lock member 185 (e.g. with a suitable amount of force fromthe assembler) to rotate the HEXFS into the closed position. Forexample, in the closed position the lock bump 154 may be engaged withthe second resilient lock member 186. Additional resilient lock membersmay be provided along the second channel 182 at intermediate positionsbetween the open and closed positions, as may be desirable forparticular assembly applications. Preferably, the mounting blocks 149are mirror images of each other, each provided with correspondingresilient lock members 185, 186 to temporarily secure the cooling unit144 in the open and closed positions, respectively.

The chassis 142 may further include features which cooperate with thestop tabs 156 to inhibit the cooling unit from moving beyond a desiredclosed position. For example, the chassis 142 includes a beam 167 havingat least one corresponding blocking member 168 (e.g. a protruding tab)which is positioned to block the stop tab 156 from moving beyond theclosed position when the cooling unit 144 is re-positioned from the opento the closed position. The beam 167 may be a cross beam 167 whichextends between opposed panels of the chassis 142. The cooling unit 144may be secured in the closed position, for example, by fasteners (notshown) which fasten the stop tabs 156 against the blocking tab 158. Inother embodiments, the beam 167 may be a cantilever beam or the beam 167may be omitted and the stop tabs may cooperate with a blocking memberprovided directly on panels of the chassis to inhibit over-rotation ofthe cooling unit 144.

With the cooling unit 144 in the closed position, the cover may beattached to the chassis 142. The cover may include one or more air flowopenings. The chassis 142 may also include one or more air flow openings(e.g. perforated portions of chassis panels). As may be necessary ordesirable, the air flow openings may be configured to inhibit radiofrequency interference.

With reference to FIGS. 19-26, an electronic system 190 includes achassis 192 and a cooling device 194 which may be mounted to a portionof the chassis 192. The cooling device 194 may be releasably andpivotably attached to the chassis 192 in at least an open position (e.g.see FIGS. 19 and 23), to permit access to components within theelectronic system 190, and a closed position (see FIGS. 25 and 26), topermit installation of a cover 196 on the chassis 192.

The cooling unit 194 is shown in general form, but may be a HEXFSassembly of a liquid cooling system, including a fan, a housing shroud,and a heat exchanger. The cooling unit 194 includes a pair ofpositioning pins 202, at least one lock member 204 (and preferably apair of lock pins 204), and at least one stop member 206 (and preferablya pair of stop tabs 206). In some examples, the positioning pins 202 maybe aligned along a line C (see FIG. 22), defining an axis of rotationfor pivoting the cooling unit 194 from the open position to the closedposition, such that the positioning pins 202 may also be consideredhinge pins 202.

The chassis 192 includes a panel 198 having a pair of mounting blocks199 secured to the panel 198. The mounting blocks 199 are positioned andconfigured to receive the hinge pins 192. The lock pins 204 cooperatewith structures on the mounting blocks 199 to temporarily secure thecooling unit 194 in an open position, as illustrated in FIG. 19. In theopen position, access is provided inside the chassis 192 for assemblyoperations. For example, in the case of a HEXFS, a cold plate may becoupled to an electronic component and tubing may be connected betweenthe cold plate and the HEXFS.

Preferably, the mounting blocks 199 are electrically isolating. Furtherdetails regarding the construction and operation of the mounting blocks199 may be had with reference to the parent '732 application.

The chassis 192 may further include features which cooperate with thestop tabs 206 to inhibit the cooling unit from moving beyond a desiredclosed position. For example, the chassis 202 includes a beam 217 havingat least one corresponding blocking member 218 (e.g. a protruding tab)which is positioned to block the stop tab 206 from moving beyond theclosed position when the cooling unit 194 is re-positioned from the opento the closed position. The beam 217 may be a cross beam 217 whichextends between opposed panels of the chassis 192. The cooling unit 194may be secured in the closed position, for example, by fasteners 262(see FIG. 26) which fasten the stop tabs 206 against the blocking tabs218. In other embodiments, the beam 217 may be a cantilever beam or thebeam 217 may be omitted and the stop tabs may cooperate with a blockingmember provided directly on panels of the chassis to inhibitover-rotation of the cooling unit 194.

With the cooling unit 194 in the closed position, the cover 196 may beattached to the chassis 192. In some applications, the fasteners whichsecure the stop tabs 206 against the blocking members 218 may go throughthe outside of the cover 196. The cover 196 may include one or more airflow openings 261. In some examples, a gasket may be provided betweenthe cover 196 and the cooling unit 194 to promote more air being drawninto the chassis 192. The chassis 192 may also include one or more airflow openings (e.g. perforated portions of chassis panels). As may benecessary or desirable, the air flow openings may be configured toinhibit radio frequency interference.

With reference to FIGS. 27-29, an electronic system 270 includes achassis 272 in a vertical configuration and a cooling device 274 whichmay be mounted in a horizontal position to a portion of the chassis 272.The cooling device 274 may be releasably and pivotably attached to thechassis 272 in at least an open position (e.g. see FIG. 27), to permitaccess to components within the electronic system 270, and a closedposition (see FIG. 28), to permit installation of a cover 276 on thechassis 272. Other orientations between horizontal and vertical are alsopossible for either of the chassis and the cooling unit, withappropriate positioning pins, lock members, and mounting blocks totemporarily secure the cooling unit in the open position.

With reference to FIG. 30, an electronic system 300 includes a chassis302 and a cooling device 304 which may be mounted to a portion of thechassis 302. The cooling device 304 may be releasably and pivotablyattached to the chassis 302 in at least an open position, to permitaccess to components within the chassis 302, and a closed position, topermit installation of a cover on the chassis 302. The chassis 302further includes a cantilever beam 307 attached to a panel of thechassis 302 and having at least one blocking member 308 which cooperateswith corresponding features on the cooling unit 304 to inhibit thecooling unit 304 from moving beyond the closed position.

With reference to FIG. 31, an electronic system 310 includes a chassis312 and a cooling device 314 which may be mounted to a portion of thechassis 312. The cooling device 314 may be releasably and pivotablyattached to the chassis 312 in at least an open position, to permitaccess to components within the chassis 312, and a closed position, topermit installation of a cover on the chassis 312. The chassis 312further includes a side panel 317 having at least one blocking member318 on the side panel 317 which cooperates with corresponding featureson the cooling unit 314 to inhibit the cooling unit 314 from movingbeyond the closed position.

The foregoing and other aspects of the invention are achievedindividually and in combination. The invention should not be construedas requiring two or more of such aspects unless expressly required by aparticular claim. Moreover, while the invention has been described inconnection with what is presently considered to be the preferredexamples, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe disclosed examples, but on the contrary, is intended to covervarious modifications and equivalent arrangements included within thespirit and the scope of the invention.

1. A system, comprising: a chassis; a pair of mounting blocks disposed on a side panel of the chassis; at least one lock member disposed on the housing; and a heat exchanger assembly mounted on the chassis, the heat exchanger assembly comprises: a heat exchanger; a housing for the heat exchanger; and positioning pins disposed on the housing for positioning the housing on the chassis during assembly; wherein the mounting blocks are adapted to receive the positioning pins of the heat exchanger assembly, and the mounting blocks are adapted to engage the at least one lock member to temporarily secure the heat exchanger assembly in an open position.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each mounting block comprises: a first channel adapted to receive one of the positioning pins; and a second channel adapted to receive the at least one lock member.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger assembly further comprises: a stop member disposed on the housing and positioned to cooperate with a corresponding feature on the chassis inhibit movement of the heat exchanger assembly beyond a closed position.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the chassis further comprises: a cross beam positioned between opposed panels of the chassis; and a blocking member disposed on the cross beam and positioned to block the stop member from moving beyond the closed position when the heat exchanger assembly is moved from the open position to the closed position.
 5. The system of claim 3, wherein the chassis further comprises: a cantilever beam attached to a panel of the chassis; and a blocking member disposed on the cantilever beam and positioned to block the stop member from moving beyond the closed position when the heat exchanger assembly is moved from the open position to the closed position.
 6. The system of claim 3, wherein the chassis further comprises: a blocking member disposed on a panel of the chassis and positioned to block the stop member from moving beyond the closed position when the heat exchanger assembly is moved from the open position to the closed position.
 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cold plate to be attached to an electronic device, wherein the cold plate is coupled to the heat exchanger assembly.
 8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a liquid cooling unit, wherein the heat exchanger is included in the liquid cooling unit.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the housing comprises a shroud and the liquid cooling unit further comprises a fan configured to direct air through the shroud and over the heat exchanger.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a shroud.
 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a fan configured to direct air through the shroud and over the heat exchanger.
 12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fan configured to direct air through the housing and over the heat exchanger. 